By Matthew J. Hickman

BJS Statistician

As of June 2000, American Indian

tribes operated 171 law enforcement

agencies that employed the equivalent

of at least 1 full-time sworn officer with

general arrest powers. In addition, the

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) operated

37 agencies providing law enforcement

services in Indian country.

Tribally operated agencies employed

3,462 full-time personnel, including

2,303 sworn (67%) and 1,159

nonsworn (33%) (table 1). These

agencies also employed 217 part-time

personnel, including 88 sworn (41%)

and 129 nonsworn (59%).

Tribally operated agencies had a

combined service population of

1,016,188 residents in 1999.* This

corresponds to about 2.3 full-time

sworn officers per 1,000 residents,

across all agencies.

Tribally operated agencies provided a

broad range of public safety services

and functions in 2000 (figure 1).

Nearly all (94%) responded to calls for

service, and a large majority engaged

in crime prevention activities (88%),

executed arrest warrants (88%),

performed traffic law enforcement

(84%), and served court papers (76%).

A majority of agencies provided court

security (56%) and search and rescue

operations (53%). About a fourth of

agencies operated one or more jails.

(For more information on jail operations, see Jails in Indian Country, 2001,

BJS Bulletin, NCJ 193400.)

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs

Revised 4/29/03

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Fact Sheet

Under 5 52 146 125 21 57 37 20

5-9 49 508 346 162 59 29 30

10-24 50 982 731 251 77 17 60

25-49 13 630 417 213 12 2 10

50 or more 7 1,196 684 512 12 3 9

All sizes 171 3,462 2,303 1,159 217 88 129

sworn personnel agencies Total Sworn Nonsworn Total Sworn Nonsworn

Full-time Number of Full-time Part-time

Type of employee

Table 1. Tribally operated law enforcement agencies

and employees, by size of agency, June 2000

Figure 1

Selected services and functions of tribally operated law

enforcement agencies, 2000

Services/functions

Operating one or more jails

Search and rescue operations

Providing court security

Serving civil process

Traffic law enforcement

Executing arrest warrants

Crime prevention

Responding to calls for service

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Percent of agencies

Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2000 

Tribal Law Enforcement, 2000

January 2003, NCJ 197936

*

Based on the American Indian “service population” counts published in the BIA 1999 Indian

Labor Force Report. The service population is

the total number of enrolled tribal members and

members from other tribes who live on or near

the reservation and are eligible to use the tribe’s

BIA-funded services. The service population

probably underestimates the population served

by tribally operated law enforcement agencies

because many agencies serve non-Indian

residents and other persons using roads, stores,

casinos, and other public places on tribal land.
About three-quarters of tribally

operated law enforcement agencies in

2000 had at least one full-time sworn

officer serving in a community policing

capacity (table 2). In some agencies,

these officers may be known by a title

indicative of their community policing

approach, such as community

resource officers and community

relations officers. A total of 714 officers

(or 31% of all full-time sworn officers)

fulfilled a community policing role in

2000. Among agencies employing

community policing officers, the

average number of such officers

ranged from 2 for the smallest tribally

operated agencies to 21 for the largest.

Thirty-seven percent of tribally

operated agencies had at least one

full-time sworn school resource officer

(table 3). These officers’ duties are

related to school safety and may

include working closely with school

staff to monitor and prevent crime and

disorder problems. In 2000, 162

officers (or 7% of all full-time sworn

officers) served as school resource

officers. Among agencies employing

school resource officers, there was an

average of three such officers per

agency. 

While tribally operated agencies and

other general purpose police

agencies provide a similar range of

services, a major difference between

them is the land area served. For

example, the Navajo Nation Department of Law Enforcement covers

approximately 22,000 square miles

in 3 States, whereas the comparably

sized Reno, Nevada, Police Department (320 full-time sworn serving

180,462 residents) covers about

57.5 square miles. In terms of land

area, some tribally operated

agencies may be more like county 

or regional police departments.

Criminal jurisdiction is another major

difference between tribally operated

agencies and their State and local

counterparts. Jurisdiction over

offenses in Indian country may lie with

Federal, State, or tribal agencies

depending upon the particular offense,

the offender, the victim, and the

offense location. (For more information on tribal jurisdiction, see U.S.

Department of Justice, Indian Country

Law Enforcement Review, December

1999; see also Jails in Indian Country,

2001, NCJ 193400).

Revised 4/29/03

2 Tribal Law Enforcement, 2000 

Note: Land area data are extracted from the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census, and include reservation land only.

--Reservation land consists of less than 1 square mile. 

a

Personnel data for this agency are from the 1996 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies.

b

Personnel data for this agency are from the 1999 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey.

San Carlos Tribal Police Department (AZ) 25 10,834 2,911 2 1

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians Police Department (ND) 26 11,116 68 2 38

Miccosukee Tribal Police Department (FL) 30 589 128 51 23

Cherokee Police Department (NC) 30 7,456 83 4 36

Yakima Tribal Police Department (WA) 31 15,968 2,153 2 1 b

Assiniboine & Sioux (Ft. Peck) Tribal Police (MT) 31 6,933 3,289 4 1

Colorado River Tribal Police Department (AZ) 32 1,942 361 16 9

Warm Springs Tribal Police Department (OR) 33 3,837 1,011 9 3

Oneida Indian Nation Police (NY) 33 1,893 -- 17 --

Rosebud Sioux Tribal Law Enforcement (SD) 35 19,440 1,388 2 3

White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department (AZ) 36 13,161 2,628 3 1

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department (MI) 37 1,026 218 36 17

Choctaw Law Enforcement Services (MS) 38 6,949 25 5 152

Salt River Tribal Police Department (AZ) 51 6,655 81 8 63

Cheyenne River Tribal Police Department (SD) 53 10,589 4,260 5 1

Oglala Sioux Tribal Police Department (SD) 58 40,873 3,159 1 2 a

Gila River Indian Community Law Enforcement (AZ) 58 15,084 584 4 10

Seminole Department of Law Enforcement (FL) 67 2,626 -- 26 --

Tohono O’Odham Tribal Police Department (AZ) 76 16,981 4,453 4 2

Navajo Nation Department of Law Enforcement (AZ) 321 169,617 22,174 2 1

Full-time sworn

per 100 square

miles

Full-time sworn

per 1,000

residents

Reservation

land area

(square miles)

BIA service

population,

1999

Full-time

sworn

Agency name and location of administrative headquarters personnel

Table 4. The 20 largest tribally operated law enforcement agencies, by the number of full-time sworn 

personnel, the service population, reservation land area, and the number of full-time sworn officers 

per 1,000 residents and per 100 square miles, 2000

*Excludes agencies that did not employ any fulltime community policing officers.

Under 5 69 73 2

5-9 74 159 4

10-24 72 289 8

25-49 92 110 9

50 or more 57% 83 21

All sizes 73% 714 6

personnel using officers sworn*

sworn agencies number of full-time

Full-time Percent of Total number of

Average

Community policing officers

Table 2. Full-time community policing

officers in tribally operated law enforcement agencies, by size of agency, 2000

*Excludes agencies that did not employ any fulltime school resource officers.

Under 5 23 23 2

5-9 35 46 3

10-24 46 40 2

25-49 62 49 6

50 or more 57% 4 1

All sizes 37% 162 3

personnel using officers sworn*

sworn agencies number of full-time

Full-time Percent of Total number of

Average

School resource officers

Table 3. Full-time school resource

officers in tribally operated law enforcement agencies, by size of agency, 2000
Revised 4/29/03

Tribal Law Enforcement, 2000 3

Crime in Indian country

Law enforcement agencies in Indian

country handle a wide range of

offenses. BIA, through its Law

Enforcement Services program,

compiles annual statistics submitted

by tribally operated and BIA agencies.

The percentage of those agencies

reporting has increased in recent

years, with 175 of 208 agencies, or

84%, reporting in 2000.

Crime rates

Agencies in 2000 reported over 9,000

violent crimes, including 8,391 aggravated assaults. Over 15,000 property

crimes were also reported.

These offenses represented less than

1% of all violent and property crimes

in the Nation in 2000. In terms of the

number of crimes per 100,000

residents, American Indians and

Alaska Natives experienced violence

at a higher rate, compared to the

country as a whole (656.5 per

100,000 versus 506.1 per 100,000),

and property crime at a lower rate

(1,082.8 per 100,000 versus 3,617.9

per 100,000).

 

In particular, the rate of aggravated

assault among American Indians and

Alaska Natives in 2000 was roughly

twice that of the country as a whole

(600.2 per 100,000 versus 323.6 per

100,000). Victimization statistics

indicate similar findings (see American Indians and Crime, NCJ 173386,

and Violent Victimization and Race,

1993-98, NCJ 176354).

Defining “crime”

The FBI specifies in its Uniform Crime

Reporting Program eight Part I Index

crimes: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor

vehicle theft, and arson. However,

data about these eight offenses do

not completely capture the nature of

crime in Indian country for a variety of

reasons. 

$ Many offenses other than Part I

offenses can help describe crime

problems. 

For example, tribal agencies reported

13,546 simple assaults and 25,486

incidents of disorderly conduct in

2000. Alcohol-related offenses were

among the most common, including

17,931 liquor law violations, 19,092

DWI offenses, and 53,297 incidents

of drunkenness. 

$ Problems in classifying Part I

offenses in Indian country can occur 

if these offenses are declined for

Federal prosecution. These cases are

returned to tribal justice systems to be

treated as lesser offenses (tribal

courts only handle misdemeanors)

and may be recorded as such.

$ Other offenses for which data are

not typically collected through the FBI

may hold equal or greater importance

for tribal communities. Tribes may be

concerned with particular types of

wrongdoing not captured in Part I

offenses.

Improving justice statistics

Many tribal agencies are working to

determine what kinds of data need to

be collected, how to collect them, and

how to analyze them. Agencies are

seeking tribal personnel with the

requisite skills and training.

BJS and the Tribal Justice Statistics

Assistance Center (TJSAC), a project

of the Justice Research and Statistics

Association (JRSA) with funding from

BJS, provide training and technical

assistance to American Indian and

Alaska Native tribes to improve the

quality and use of justice statistics. 

The TJSAC does not collect data 

from tribal justice systems. Rather, 

it provides information and training 

to help tribes collect and use statistics

more effectively. More information 

on TJSAC can be found at the TJSAC

website <www.tjsac.org>.

Note: Data in this table were extracted from the BIA 1998, 1999, and 2000 Annual Law

Enforcement Program Reports. These data include reports from BIA law enforcement

offices. 

Arson 420 521 423

Motor vehicle theft 1,666 2,097 2,465

Larceny/theft 6685 7,157 8,048

Burglary 4,558 5,477 4,201

Property offenses 13,329 15,252 15,137

Aggravated assault 6,471 8,661 8,391

Robbery 260 196 143

Rape 523 603 550

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 93 118 94

Violent offenses 7,347 9,578 9,178

Total violent and property offenses 20,676 24,830 24,315

Percent of agencies reporting 71% 79% 84%

1998 1999 2000

Violent and property offenses reported by law enforcement

agencies in Indian country, 1998-2000

Note: Data in this table were extracted from

the BIA 2000 Annual Law Enforcement

Program Report. These data include reports

from BIA law enforcement offices.

2,072

Stolen property (buying, 

receiving, possessing)

Weapons (carrying, possessing) 2,776

5,288

Drug violations (sale, use,

possession)

Vandalism 11,507

Simple assaults 13,546

Liquor law violations 17,931

Driving while intoxicated 19,092

Disorderly conduct 25,486

Drunkenness 53,297

Selected offenses (other than Part I

offenses) reported by tribal law 

enforcement agencies, 2000
Sources of additional information

Additional information on tribal crime

and justice is available in Jails in Indian

Country, 2001, BJS Bulletin, NCJ

193400; Violent Victimization and

Race, 1993-98, BJS Special Report,

NCJ 176354; and American Indians

and Crime, BJS report, NCJ 173386.

Related publications and programs of

other Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

components are compiled by the OJP

American Indian and Alaska Native

(AI/AN) Affairs Desk. The AI/AN Affairs

Desk enhances access to information

by Federally recognized American

Indian and Alaska Native tribes regarding funding opportunities, training and

technical assistance, and other

relevant information.

More information about the AI/AN

Affairs Desk can be found at

<www.ojp.usdoj.gov/americannative/

Whats_new.htm>.

Since 1995 the Office of Community

Oriented Policing Services (COPS),

U.S. Department of Justice, has

awarded more than $198 million to

improve law enforcement capabilities 

in Indian country. COPS administers

several funding programs targeted to

tribal law enforcement agencies,

including the Tribal Resource Grant

Program, Comprehensive Indian

Resources for Community and Law

Enforcement (CIRCLE) project, Mental

Health and Community Safety Initiative

for American Indian/Alaskan Native

Children, Youth and Families (MHCSI),

Tribal Hiring Renewal Grant Program

(THRGP), and various training and

technical assistance initiatives including the 3 Tribes Integrated Justice Pilot

Project and Indian Youth Academy.

These initiatives have included funding

for new law enforcement officers,

equipment, training, technology, law

enforcement assessments, and youth

development.

More information about COPS can be

found at <www.cops.usdoj.gov>, or by

calling the DOJ Response Center at

1-800-421-6770.

Revised 4/29/03

The Bureau of Justice Statistics 

is the statistical agency of the 

U.S. Department of Justice.

Lawrence A. Greenfeld is director.

Matthew Hickman, BJS statistician,

prepared this report. The Office of

Community Oriented Policing

Services (COPS) provided partial

funding for the 2000 Census. Debra

Cohen and Matthew Scheider of

COPS assisted with questionnaire

development. Norena-Ann Henry,

Director, OJP American Indian and

Alaska Native Affairs Desk; Craig

Jones of the Bureau of Indian Affairs;

and Edward Reina, Jr., Director,

Yavapai-Prescott Tribal Police,

reviewed this report. 

Data were collected and processed

by the U.S. Census Bureau, with

assistance from BJS. Census

Bureau staff, under the supervision

of Latrice Brogsdale-Davis and

Charlene Sebold, included Theresa

Reitz, Martha Greene, Patricia

Torreyson, and Paula Kinard.

January 2003, NCJ 197936